O Holy Night
by cullen's pet
Summary: "I really like you, Cara. I hope you can forgive me someday," he whispered against her throat, his lips moving gently against her skin. Bella felt her first trickle of fear. "What does that mean?" her voice trembled as her heart raced. Why...?


Disclaimer: I don't own the sparkly world of Twilight and I make no money from this story. A/N: This was written for Breath-of-Twilight's Countdown to the new year. If you like smut, you should check it out.

O Holy Night

Bella sat silently in the church pew, her eyelashes glistening with unshed tears. The choir sang in the background as she contemplated the last two years of her life. She couldn't understand the words as they sang in their native language, Italian, but she did recognize the tune. It was very beautiful, their voices perfectly harmonized as they swept through the song. It should have lifted her soul but she couldn't climb out of her pit of despair.

So much had happened over the last few years. Too bad that she couldn't remember most of it. She'd had a terrible accident in Phoenix almost nine months ago. When she awoke from her fall, she found that she couldn't remember the last few months of her life. She didn't even remember the accident that had nearly killed her.

Her mother had to tell her that she'd left Forks and come to Phoenix, that she'd fallen down the stairs at the hotel. Bella was so confused. She didn't even remember moving to Forks. Her mother had filled in the details, even mentioning that she'd had a boyfriend.

She traced the strange, silvery scar on the inside of her arm thoughtfully. It was the only remaining remnant of her near death experience. It was also impossible to explain how it had gotten there. It was a bite mark in the shape of a human mouth. The doctors had questioned her extensively but she just couldn't remember how it had happened.

Her memory loss was frustrating. She didn't remember her boyfriend and found out after returning to Forks that he and his family had moved away while she was convalescing in Arizona. Even though she couldn't remember him, it still stung that he'd left without even saying goodbye.

Edward.

That was what Charlie said his name was. Edward Cullen. She knew that he must have meant a great deal to her because even though she couldn't even recall his face, she still felt the weight of his absence. To make matters worse, her mother had been killed in an airplane crash on the way back to Florida.

Bella felt horrible. It had been all her fault. If she'd only stayed home, if she'd only not run away like a coward. It made her sick to her stomach. She held herself and her actions fully responsible for her mother's untimely death.

She'd put on a brave face and soldiered on for the sake of Charlie. Inside she was dying. First her boyfriend had deserted her and then she lost the only woman that she felt that she could confide in. Her mother may have been flighty but she still knew how to listen. She felt like she couldn't talk to Charlie because he'd made it clear that he was glad that she wasn't with Edward any longer.

She'd made it through her senior year and had graduated. She had two more weeks left in Forks before she left for college when the unthinkable had happened- Charlie had been killed in what they labeled an animal attack. Bella was devastated. He was the last family that she had in this world.

She'd buried him in a small closed casket graveside service since there wasn't enough left of him to even view. She'd packed up the next day and left. There was nothing left for her in the town of Forks. She'd moved to her dorm at Washington State University to attend college as planned. It was what Charlie would have wanted.

She'd been there for a few days when the nightmares started. At first, there was only a set of glowing red eyes leering at her in the darkness. She'd awaken, sweating and panting, her arms thrashing around in her bed before realizing it was a dream. Soon, the dreams morphed to include golden yellow eyes as well as the red eyes. And then there was Italy. She didn't know why she kept dreaming of Italy. She always saw three figures in this dream. She never saw them clearly, she could only best describe it as trying to see something above from under the water. Everything was distorted.

These dreams frustrated her to no end. They disrupted her sleep which in turn disrupted her studies. Not only that, she got the feeling that they were important. She thought they might be memories. Which frustrated her even more. She'd never quite gotten over Edward and she'd really like to remember what happened between them that had made her leave and set into motion the terrible events of the last two years.

That brought her to the reason why she was here in the Santa Maria del Fiore on Christmas Eve. She'd followed her dreams. She thought if she visited the place that she kept dreaming about, that maybe, just maybe she'd be able to jog her memory.

Edward's desertion was haunting her. She'd tried to look him up on the internet so that she could question him why he left without even saying goodbye. She'd mulled the idea of taking a trip to Italy for months. In the end, she'd taken some of Charlie's life insurance money and booked the trip. The worst thing that could happen was she could get some culture in her life.

She'd spent the last two weeks seeing the sights. She'd been all over Italy exploring, trying in vain to spark a memory. That brought her to this cathedral. She'd seen it from the outside and heard the choir singing and decided to venture inside. She was due to return to the States in three days and so far she'd not accomplished anything.

She was amazed from the first moment she stepped inside. The ceiling was a work of art. Beautiful images circled its circumference spiraling upwards across the dome of its ceiling. She'd never seen anything like it. She couldn't even imagine how long it had taken to build this masterpiece. Gothic arches and statues decorated the interior and exterior of the magnificent structure. There was so much attention to every little detail that it was astounding. She even thought that the gargoyles adorning the battlements were beautiful.

But it wasn't enough to snap her out of her funk. She traced the scar on her wrist once more. Her skin was cooler there than the area surrounding it. It was very curious. Just another piece missing in the puzzle that was her life.

She leaned back against the pew and closed her eyes, listening to the beautiful singing. She was glad that she came. If anything, she could say that she tried.

_O Holy Night, le stelle sono lucentissimi _

_è la notte della nascita del Salvatore caro_

_Lungo laici del mondo nel peccato e l'errore struggimento_

It was so beautiful, Bella was lost in the sound. She didn't even notice the presence of the man that had sat next to her. Not until he reached out and tapped her on her shoulder. Her eyes flew open immediately and she gasped inwardly at the stranger's beauty.

"Credo che questa caduta," he said as he handed her scarf to her.

She smiled slightly, " I didn't understand what you said, but yes, this is mine."

He laughed quietly. "I'm sorry," he apologized, this time in English. "I wasn't aware that you weren't from here."

She studied him silently before she answered him. Whoever this man was, he had to be the most attractive person she'd ever met. His face could have belonged on one of the angels painted on the gilded dome ceiling. His face was very open, large almond shaped eyes framed by well-groomed perfectly arched eyebrows; a narrow, straight nose set over plump smooth lips. But it wasn't these features that captured her attention. It was the color of his eyes. They were the most bizarre shade of violet that she'd ever seen. She wanted to ask if they were contacts.

Instead she forced herself to waive off his apology. "Don't worry about it. It's not like I'm wearing a sign that says I'm American," she joked feebly.

His smile widened. "What's your name?" he asked.

She debated whether she should tell him or not. How could she be sure that he wasn't some kind of psycho or something? In the end she decided that there wasn't anywhere safer than a church on Christmas Eve. It wasn't like she had anything left to lose.

"Bella," she answered. "Isabella Swan."

"Isabella" he echoed, his voice low and velvety as her name fell from his lips. It was almost like he was tasting how her name felt on his tongue. Bella resisted the urge to shudder as he brought her hand to his lips and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles.

"It is very appropriate, no?" he questioned, his lips brushing her skin. "A beautiful name for an even more beautiful woman."

Bella's face flushed crimson at his words. And even more from his actions. But his lips were cold. So very cold. It reminded her of something or someone.

She ducked her head, trying to hide the stain on her cheeks. "I- I wouldn't call me that, exactly," she stammered in reply.

The man beside her chuckled, a deep rich sound that caused heat to pool in her belly and more heat to fly to her cheeks. "Nonsense," he argued. "I'm Italian. We're bred to recognize beauty and appreciate it. My name is Alec. Alec Moretti."

_Cadono in ginnocchio! Oh, sentire le voce angelo!_

_Oh notte divina, la notte in cui Cristo è nato;_

_O notte, O holy night, O notte immersione!_

Bella was lost in this man's gaze. There was something about him that was simply mesmerizing. She couldn't understand her sudden attraction to him or explain the riotous feelings that were bubbling in her stomach. Finally she tore her eyes away from his and forced herself to reply.

"You're too kind," she said softly.

He smiled brightly. "Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Caffé Coquinarius? They have the most exquisite coffee in all of Italy."

She sat back a little, stunned by his invitation. Should she go? She didn't know this man from Adam and while she was safe within the church, being out and about Florence with him was another matter entirely.

"I don't know, Mr. Moretti," she hedged, trying to think of a way to turn him down gently. It wasn't that she wasn't interested. That was the exact opposite of the truth. She was entirely too interested for her own good.

"Please, la mia bellezza," he entreated her. "It is only a short walk around the corner. I promise on my honor to be a complete gentleman."

She completely melted at his words. Italian really was a beautiful language. She didn't know what he said but she was sure it was another compliment.

"Okay," she conceded and accepted his outstretched hand. She was again shocked by how cold his skin felt. Maybe he had poor circulation or something. She walked along beside him out of the church feeling a little awkward that she was still holding his hand. She'd just met him but he hadn't released her hand when she stood to follow him and she didn't want to offend him by trying to jerk her hand from his grasp. Maybe he was just a little different because he was Italian. Maybe it was customary over here to hold hands.

True to his word, the café was just around the corner from the sprawling church. She ordered a small cappuccino and he ordered an espresso. They sat in silence as she enjoyed her coffee. She noticed more than once that he hadn't tasted his yet. He merely wrapped his hands around the cup, as if he were savoring the warmth that it emanated.

"So, tell me about yourself, Isabella. Tell me about your home," he asked politely.

She stared at him across the table, struck again by the flawlessness of his looks. He was very pale, so pale that she wondered if he ever went in the sun. She was pretty pale herself but he was even more so. She couldn't see a single blemish on his face and his features were classically masculine. She looked again at those oddly colored irises. If anything, his eyes were more astounding in the brighter lights of the café. They seemed an even deeper violet than before, almost a reddish-purple color.

"There isn't much to know," she answered. "And I prefer Bella. I go to school at the University of Washington. I'm studying criminal justice. I was born in a small town in Washington but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. I moved back to Washington with my dad when my mother remarried. She was killed in a plane crash last year. My father died last summer."

"I'm sorry," he murmured as he took her hand. "Have you no other family?"

"No," she answered honestly. Her parents had both been only children and her grandparents had been gone for a long time. She should have been more leery about his line of questioning. It should have set off alarm bells in her head. But she was just so lonely. She had gotten no answers from this trip about her missing memories. She was tired of being so uncertain about everything.

She felt rather strange suddenly as she sat across from Alec, she couldn't really pinpoint the reason. She had a really strange taste in her mouth. It reminded her of the time she had to get her wisdom teeth removed and she could taste the gas she inhaled to put her to sleep. She shook her head and took another drink of her coffee to rid herself of the taste.

"Excuse me, il mio tesoro bello," he bid as he stood from the table. "Mother nature calls and I cannot wait."

"Of course," she answered. She really needed to find a translation book. She'd love to know what he was saying. She suspected they were terms of endearment.

He returned after a few minutes as she was just finishing her coffee. It was getting rather late and she had an early start planned for tomorrow.

"Mr. Moretti," she started.

"Please, call me Alec," he bid.

"Alright, Alec. I really should be going," she stated. "It's getting late and…"

"One more stop," he insisted. "I simply must show you Giotto's Bell Tower. It offers the most spectacular view of Florence at night."

She looked at him for a long moment contemplating the earnest expression on his face. He seemed like he really wanted her to go.

"Alright," she caved. "But I really must leave after that. I have an early tour booked at the hotel I'm staying at."

"Which hotel?" he enquired.

"The Hotel Caravaggio," she answered as he took her hand once more and led her from the busy café.

He smiled brightly. "That's perfect. The tower is but a short walk from your hotel."

He lapsed into silence as they walked the cobbled streets. She mused how the evening had ended up turning out. She liked Alec. It made her sad that she had to leave in a few days time and that, in all likely hood, she'd never see him again. But she was glad that she had met him. He'd made her see that she didn't have to mope over her missing memories. She could learn to let go and move on. She had a full life ahead of her and she hoped that one day she would meet someone that was as kind as Alec had been to her.

She was a little confused when she realized that they were heading back toward the cathedral. "We're going back?" she questioned.

"Si. You have not seen Florence until you've seen it from the top of Giotto's Bell Tower," he answered, his eyes catching hers in the moonlight.

She almost balked. She really didn't like heights. But she felt it would be amazing to see the city from above. He led her past the main cathedral to a really tall tower. She leaned head back and looked upwards.

"You want to take me up there?" she all but squeaked. It was much taller than she anticipated.

"Trust me, la mia bellezza," his voice silky in her ear. "You won't regret this."

She followed him as he led her inside and up the winding staircase. She started huffing and puffing with the effort by the time they were halfway up. He didn't even seem like he was trying. She wheezed as they reached the top floor.

"How," she gasped. "Are you not out of breath?"

He laughed lightly and led her over to the railing. "That, mio caro, is my secret. Look."

She turned away from him and took in the sight. It was beautiful. She couldn't even describe it. She squeezed his hand in silent thanks for bringing her up here to see this.

"Thank you," she said. "It's beautiful. I would have never have thought to come up here."

She glanced up at him and blushed when his gaze settled on her lips. She wanted him to kiss her. She may be leaving in three days but she wanted to feel his lips on hers just this once. He reached up and swept her hair off her shoulder and tucked it behind her ear.

He said," No, you're wrong Bella. You're beautiful."

His lips descended to hers, lightly brushing against her in the most sensual kiss she'd ever shared with someone. She almost couldn't breath, it was so sweet, so perfect that she couldn't believe it was happening.

He reached up and carded his hands in her hair, pulling her closer to him. She complied and responded as he deepened his kiss, his moist tongue tracing the seam of her lips. She parted her lips eagerly granting him the access he desired. She almost swooned on the spot. He tasted so good, unlike anything she'd ever tasted before. He was like the richest dark chocolate mixed with the sweetest raspberries.

She sighed and grasped his shirt in an effort to keep herself from floating away. He pulled away reluctantly as she gasped for air. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. He suckled on the small patch of skin just above her pulse point. She grew weak at the knees from the sensation of his tongue licking sensually along the length of her neck. She would have willingly gone anywhere with him at this point but his next words were like a bucket of ice water effectively quenching the fire he'd stoked inside of her.

"I really like you, Cara. I hope you will forgive me someday," he whispered against her throat, his lips moving gently against her skin.

Bella felt her first trickle of fear. Her spine stiffened as she tried to struggle out of his embrace. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice trembling with her barely concealed panic. "What are you talking about?"

His arms held her firmly in his grasp, it was as if he had turned to stone. He was so strong, she couldn't budge an inch in his arms. Her mind overloaded from the implication of his words and trying to process his incredible strength at the same time. Her heart raced as terror ripped its way through her. If he was apologizing, that implied that he was going to do something that would hurt her.

"Alec!"

Bella turned her head at the sound of another person joining their little party. It was a man. He was even more pale than Alec and his skin seemed very delicate, almost papery thin. He had long black hair that flowed down to his shoulders. But that wasn't the feature that drew her attention. It was his eyes. They were blood red just as the eyes had been in her dreams.

A sense of dé jà vu washed over her. She'd see this man before. If Alec hadn't been holding her upright, she might have staggered from the sudden onslaught of memories. They blinked in rapid flashes behind her shuttered eyelids. She recalled the painting she saw in Carlisle's office. Moving to Forks, her first day of school, the van, Edward; it all came rushing back. Her escape from James to Phoenix, the fight in the ballet studio; every last detail. This man's name was Aro and he was the so-called leader of the Volturi that Carlisle had told her about. She bit back a sob in her throat as the man spoke again.

"You claim to have something that may interest me, my child," his voice rang with authority. "I can only assume that this is she."

She cringed as Alec nodded his head. He had sold her out. He'd brought her straight to his master. "She is incredible. My power cannot touch her. She had no reaction whatsoever when I tried it out on her. I have no doubt that Jane won't be able to influence her as well."

Alec held her still as the other man moved closer to her. She jerked against his grasp, wanting to put space between herself and the man with the glowing red eyes. She wanted to run away as fast as she could but she knew if these men were who she suspected they were, she wouldn't even make it to the door. She trembled as he stopped about a foot away from them.

"Do not fret, young one. I won't hurt you. I only wish to touch your hand," he meant his voice to sooth her but if anything she became more terrified. She seemed to remember that he had some sort of latent power, something that was similar to Edward's gift of mind reading. What was he doing?

She shivered violently as he took her hand. Her legs trembled as the moment seemed to drag on. Her eyes flew open when she felt his tongue on her wrist. "You've done well, my child. It is remarkable. I can see nothing at all. She may be the most powerful shield that I've ever encountered."

Shield? What was he talking about? She was so scared, so confused, and so hurt. Edward had left her. She'd gotten hurt in Phoenix and he'd left her. Did she mean so little to him that he could just leave without a single explanation or goodbye? She felt betrayed by the whole family that she come to think of as a second family. She tried to shove her hurt to the furthest corner of her mind. She couldn't deal with it at the moment. Not when she was faced with the monsters holding her captive.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice small. She wanted so badly just to go home, to forget about everything. She'd been so desperate to have her memory back and now she regretted having it. She didn't want it if it was going to cause her so much pain.

"Oh, il mio piccolo Tesoro, the only thing I want is you," he smiled widely showing all of his teeth. It did nothing to disarm her. If anything, it frightened her further.

"I just want to go home," she blurted, once again struggling against her captor and trying to jerk her hand from the man's grasp. "I don't know anything about you!"

"I'm afraid, child, that you will not be going home," he said gravely as he finally released her hand. "Italy will be your new home. You'll grow to love it some day. I trust you know what to do Alec? Make sure you get her to the castle. I can't wait to show my brothers your new find."

With a gust of air, he was gone. She hadn't even seen him move. Her mind reeled from his words. She couldn't go home. He said Italy would be her new home. She knew he was from the Volturi. He was their leader. She couldn't let him know that she knew about them, he would then ask her how she knew. Even though Edward deserted her, she still didn't want to cause him any pain or trouble. And from what Edward told her, just her knowing what he was would cause his death.

She shifted trying to pull away from Alec. He'd betrayed her as well. She'd genuinely liked him. She thought he was nice. He was probably planning on killing her before he realized that she was gifted.

"Why?" she asked when he wouldn't let go.

"I'm a vampire, Isabella," he murmured softly. "I'm a predator. I was out hunting and your scent drew me in. I followed you into the church. Then I sat down and you looked so sad. Even though you smell better than any human I've ever came across, I decided that I wasn't going to hurt you. I just felt the need to cheer you up. But I felt that you might be special. I wanted to try to account for the reason I felt so drawn to you. I used my talent on you, but you are immune." He paused for a minute recollecting. "It's never happened before."

"In the café?" she clarified.

"Yes, in the café," he answered. "I knew that I had to tell Aro. Once he touched me and learned of your existence, he would stop at nothing to find you. He would kill anyone to get to you. Don't you see? I had to do it to protect you."

"To protect me?" she laughed bitterly. "Some protection. He's ordering you to take me against my will somewhere and then what? Kill me or turn me into a vampire and force me to serve him. Sounds like an excellent choice."

"It's the only choice," he said sadly. "For what it's worth, I truly am sorry. I never meant to hurt you or cause you grief. I find myself inexplicably attracted to you. I'm over five hundred years old and I've never felt like this before. I was only curious as to why. I regret that I've caused you pain but I don't regret meeting you. I meant what I said earlier. It is my sincerest hope that you'll be able to forgive me someday."

Bella stared up at him as his eyes slowly melted back to red, his contacts dissolving from the venom that coated them. His eyes were an illusion just as the rest of him had been. She was still attracted to him even though he'd betrayed her presence to Aro. Maybe he did only mean well. She didn't know this Aro but from what Carlisle had described, he did seem like the type that would hunt her down to the ends of the earth. Maybe what Alec had done was best. He may have adverted some unnecessary bloodshed but she wasn't quite ready to forgive him just yet.

"I hope you're willing to wait for my forgiveness," she answered quietly. "Because from the way it sounds, I'm going to have an awful lot of time on my hands in which to contemplate your duplicity."

Before she had a chance to even blink, Alec had swept her into his arms and jumped from the top of the tower. She closed her eyes and clutched at him in terror as they landed on the cobbled street below. Then they were gone in the blink of an eye. There was no way that a human could have even seen them move. She tried to make peace with herself as they raced through the darkness toward her impending doom. She knew that before the next night fell, she would be well on her way to becoming a vampire. Her only comfort was the fact that one day she may get her closure with Edward. They were bound to cross paths again someday.

And when that day came, she would be ready.

End Note: The places described in this fic are real places in the city of Florence. I'm not sure if they are laid out in the same proximity as I described but they do exist. The song in italics is the song O Holy Night translated into Italian. The rest of the translations are listed below. I used google translate to write this so any mistakes I blame on google. I just love the sound of Italian and I was happy to be able to write a fic that included it.

La mia belleza- my beauty

Il mio Tesoro bello- my beautiful treasure

Mio caro- my dearest

Il mio piccolo Tesoro- my little treasure

Cara- Italian term of endearment, sweetheart

Credo che questa caduta- I believe you dropped this


End file.
